


Family Time

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Christmas Time, F/M, Family Dinners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 13:49:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16893804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: The Mulder family is invited to Bill Scully's house for Christmas.





	Family Time

It’s their first outing as a family. Sort of.

“Christmas dinner at your brother’s is not what I had in mind, Scully.” Mulder, dressed in dark slacks and a new grey sweater, is pouting. So is Jackson. He keeps running his hand through his now much shorter hair. She knows he hates it. It makes him look younger, much younger than his 17 years. Scully secretly loves it. Not because he looks like a young boy, but because he reminds her so much of Mulder.

“I don’t understand why we have to go,” their son mumbles, staring at the very neatly decorated front door. He reaches out to touch the wreath and Mulder slaps his hand away just in time before a twig comes lose. “I hate this already.” Mulder turns to her and nods. Father and son, one mind.

“If no one opens, can we-” And then there’s Bill Scully. Her brother hasn’t changed much. His face is still stoic, still solemn. His eyes are small in his big round face, giving him an edge. His hairline is receding, a fact that will make Mulder happy. Until she reminds him that his is, too. To her he is just Bill, just her big brother. She smiles at him.

“Hi, big brother.” It takes him a moment, but then he’s smiling, too, taking her into his arms as if she were made of glass. “You remember Mulder,” Scully says, pushing him towards her brother. They two grumble something to each other in a language that must be primitive. At least they shake hands.

“This is… Jackson. Your nephew.”

“William?”

“I go by Jackson, like he goes by Mulder.” Her son shakes his uncle’s hand, grinning. Bill is quiet and Scully is thankful for that.

“And this here is Katie.” The youngest Mulder is – so far – the easiest to handle. The baby is asleep, all bundled up and Scully can’t help but feel proud when even her brother lets out a fond sigh. She and Mulder make beautiful babies.

“She’s so cute, Dana.” Bill looks at her, his eyes tired. She nods, mirrors his stance. He and Tara were never blessed with a second child. “Let’s go inside.”

Seeing Tara again after so many years feels just right. Her sister-in-law has put on some weight, wears her hair short like her. It’s a darker, much softer blond these days. Her eyes are sparkling; she seems happy. Scully introduces her family and both Mulder and Jackson behave for once.

“Matty is bringing his girlfriend for the first time tonight,” Scully admits to Mulder as the two of them stand in the doorway, watching their son and their nephew playing with Katie.

“So we’re not the main attraction, are we?” He’s grinning.

“No, we’re not.” She grins right back.

Mattys girlfriend Sarah is a shy young woman who keeps calling both Mulder and Bill “sir”. Jackson chuckles every time she does. Scully throws him raised eyebrows that he simply ignores. But when Mulder chuckles, too, she kicks him under the table.

“What do you do, Mrs. Mulder?”

“It’s Dr. Scully,” she says with a soft smile, but the girl seems mortified.

“You’re not married?” Sarah’s eyes grow big and she quickly looks over at her boyfriend, who shrugs. Bill snorts and Tara puts her hand over his.

“We’ve been together for many years and we feel married.”

“Never felt like putting a ring on it,” Mulder jokes, but no one laughs. He quickly stuffs a potato into his mouth.

“Of course you didn’t.” That’s Bill. Tara tries to calm him and Scully hopes it’ll work. Judging the fiery flickering in her brother’s eyes, though, it’s a lost cause.

“I love your sister, Bill. She knows that. If she wants to get married, we will. Even after 25 years together. I’d marry her right here, right now if she said so.” They’ve talked about it so many times. It’s not Mulder who never wanted to get married. It’s her. It’s always been her.

“What would you guys even call each other?” Jackson laughs. “Mulder and Mulder?” Everyone just stares at him. “What? They call each other Mulder and Scully. I was just making a joke.” He shrugs. Mulder pats his back; he’s the only one who appreciates his son’s humor. But at least the topic is off the table now.

“Jackson,” Tara says, a big smile on her face. “Tell us more about you. Are you still in school? Do you have a girlfriend?” She winks at him.

“Dana and Mulder made me go back to school. I want to go to college. I, uhm, don’t really have a girlfriend. It’s not really… I’m bi actually, aunt Tara.”

“Oh!” Scully has never heard her sister-in-law’s voice so high. She shovels more food onto everyone’s plates, her cheeks pink. At least Bill keeps quiet. Scully still remembers how he looked at their brother Charlie when he told everyone he was gay. He came around eventually, but it took a while. He’s come a long way, it seems.

“Have you heard from Charlie, Bill?” Her brother eyes her. “He called me after Katie was born.”

“He called me, too. Was thinking about joining us for Christmas, but it didn’t work out.”

“I’m glad you invited us,” she says and means it. Bill squeezes his lips together, not wanting to show too many emotions. “Merry Christmas.” She raises her glass and everyone, one by one, follows her example. Bill nods at her with the hint of a smile. It reminds her of when they were younger. Of times when they sat together like this, all the Scullys. Their mother, Ahab, Missy and Charlie. They still have each other, the two of them always the most stubborn. As infuriating as he is, she loves her brother, is glad she hasn’t lost him.

“Thank you for coming. Merry Christmas.” Bill looks at her and even acknowledges Mulder. Under the table Mulder squeezes her hand. In the back of the room, Katie starts fussing.

“Someone is hungry,” Mulder says as a way of apology. He picks her up and brings her to Scully, who settles with her on the couch. The conversations around the dinner table resume as Mulder stays with Scully, crouching in front of her.

“She really is hungry.” Katie latches on and drinks thirstily.

“I love you, Scully. You know that?”

“I know, Mulder. I love you, too. Now go back and make sure our son is all right.”

“Do I have to?” She nods.

“Fine.” Mulder kisses her forehead and gets up, his knees cracking. She watches as Mulder and Bill eye each other from a distance. She can’t see Mulder’s face, but her brother’s is devoid of resentment. His features are soft, forgiving. After all these years it’s a first step.


End file.
